Within Reason
by ninewood
Summary: In 2004, James McAvoy and Steven Robertson starred in a movie called Rory O'Shea Was Here/Inside, I'm Dancing. This is the fourth of the missing stories from the movie.


The sun shined brightly in the sky above The Carrigmore Home for the Disabled and the wind gently blew the leaves in the trees. The room was quiet as Rory slept and his bleached blonde spiked hair was slightly messy. Rory sighed as his mind clicked on and he knew what he was going to see if he opened his eyes. Rory opened his dazzling blue eyes when he looked up at the ceiling and yawned. His nose felt a little clogged and his eyes felt crusty as he blinked his eyes and thought back to the several showers he had the day before. Having Duchene's muscular dystrophy was one thing, but the day he had broke something inside him. Crying and losing total control was something Rory normally didn't do and the last time he remembered crying was when his mother suddenly died when he was ten years old.

"_Got to admit, considering all the shit that's been going on over the last few years, it felt really good to let it all out," _he thought when the door opened and Eileen walked into the room, heading for the bed.

"Good morning," she said as he looked up at her and blinked.

"Uh, yeah," he said and arched an eyebrow and frowned. "No offense, but what are you doing in my room? Where's Annie?"

"I just need to talk to you first. How are you feeling?"

"My nose is a little clogged, but I'm ok."

"I saw you talking with Nurse Flynn last night," she said in reference to Erin Flynn, who was the night nurse that he and Michael had made friends with. "It didn't sound to me like you were alright."

"Well, can you blame me? Yesterday was shite and I just broke. Which, by the way, is something I do not do," he said and Eileen slight smiled.

"No, I noticed that," she said and Rory was wondering what she was up to.

"Look, I'm over it. Can you go get Annie before I piss the bed?" he asked and Eileen nodded, heading for the door. "Wait."

"What is it?" she asked, turning around and he gave her a slight smile.

"You don't like me, do you?"

"To be honest, no, I don't. You are rude, crude and disruptive. You have also turned this place upside down. I have never met a more immature person in all my life."

"Ah, well, I don't like you either."

"Is that all?"

"No, why won't you let Michael have a life?"

"What do you mean?"

"All he does is sit there and watch his life pass him by. Why won't you let him live? Don't tell me that he isn't smart. He is. Is it because you don't want him to be disappointed if it turns out that he can't do things? Well, if that's true, then he would learn what he can and can't do. The thing is, you aren't letting him try and find out what those limits are," Rory said as she gave him a blank look and he waited for her answer.

"I just don't want him to get hurt."

"But you are hurting him by not letting him do anything."

"That is not your concern," she said and he glared at her. "Now, I have decided that you can do anything you want today, but only if you agree to do it within reason of practicality," she said and Rory gave her a blank look.

"This isn't a joke, is it? You will allow me to do whatever I want?"

"Yes," she said and Rory's eyes went wide.

"And if I want to take Michael with me then that's ok?"

"If Michael wants to join you, yes," she said with a nod of her head.

"Fuck, well, to start, can you go get Annie?" he asked and she nodded her head then left the room. Rory was stunned by the thought of doing whatever he wanted for the rest of the day then smiled, looking at the ceiling and waited for Annie to come and get him up.

The wheelchair moved down the hallway when Rory saw Michael sitting near the doorway to the dining hall and Michael shifted in his wheelchair then smiled at Rory. Being afflicted with cerebral palsy, Michael wasn't able to speak clearly, but Rory could understand him and he turned the wheelchair around to face Rory.

"Good morning," Michael mumbled.

"Hi," Rory said.

"You ok?"

"Yeah," Rory said as Michael nodded then flicked the switch and the wheelchairs headed toward the table. Suddenly Rory stopped the wheelchair as he looked at Cathy sitting in her usual spot and his heart started thudding in his chest. Cathy had been tossing food at him and spitting juice in his face for reasons only known to her and Rory sighed, arching an eyebrow. "Oh shit."

"Just ignore her," Michael mumbled then got an idea and smiled. Rory watched as Michael moved the wheelchair into the spot he normally sat as Rory smiled, rolling his eyes and moved the wheelchair into Michael's usual spot.

"Why didn't I think of that?" he whispered and Michael smiled. The aide placed the plates and glasses in front of them when she started feeding Rory and Rory smiled at her. She helped Rory drink some milk as he tried to think of what he wanted to do and he looked out the window, watching the clouds drifting slowly across the sky. "Is it warm out?"

"Yes," the aide said.

"Hey!" Michael suddenly shouted as Cathy slammed her wheelchair into Michael's wheelchair and Rory glanced at him.

"Michael move!" Cathy shouted when Annie walked to her and placed her hands on the handles of Cathy's wheelchair, turning Cathy's wheelchair to face the table.

"Alright, that will be enough," she said as Cathy glared at Michael and Michael sighed, looking over at Rory.

"You ok?" Rory asked and Michael nodded, picking up the fork and stabbed a piece of sausage with the fork. He was about to put the sausage in his mouth when something wet hit him in the head and he looked over at Cathy, who held some scrambled eggs in her hand. Michael turned the wheelchair around when he flicked the switch and the wheelchair headed toward her. He stopped the wheelchair when Annie came between him and Cathy and he looked up at her.

"No," Annie said as Michael sighed and the aide came over, cleaning the scrambled egg out of his hair and ear. Anger roared through his chest while Rory flicked the switch with his finger and moved the wheelchair toward Michael. The wheelchair stopped next to Michael's wheelchair while Michael looked at him and Rory moved the wheelchair toward Annie, stopping near her foot. "Yes?"

"Is there somewhere else she can eat?" Rory asked.

"No, now go eat," Annie said as Michael shrugged and they headed back to the table. Michael poked the scrambled eggs with the fork while the aide started feeding Rory and Rory chewed, thinking about what he wanted to do for the rest of the day.

"Michael?" Rory asked and Michael placed the fork down, looking at him.

"What?" Michael mumbled.

"Eileen decided I can do whatever I want because of the shite that happened to me yesterday," Rory said and Michael smiled, placing a piece of sausage in his mouth.

"So what do you want to do?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Rory said while the aide helped him sip on the milk and Michael thought for a few minutes then smiled, placing some scrambled eggs in his mouth.

"Want to go for a walk?" Michael mumbled and Rory's eyes went wide and he blinked his eyes.

"A walk?" he asked and Michael softly laughed, nodding his head. "Ok, why the hell not?"

The wheelchairs moved down the path while Michael and Rory looked around and Rory flicked the switch with his finger. The air was chilly even with the sun shining so the aides made Rory wear his woolen knit cap and scarf, but neither of them minded wearing their coats and headed down the pavement, going around the corner. They looked around when they stopped the wheelchairs near the garage area and watched the driver working on the bus used to take the residence places. The driver was a tall man with black hair peppered with gray and green eyes and grease stains covered his shirt, jacket and jeans. Glancing over to his right, the driver looked at Rory and Michael when he stood up, wiped his hands with the cloth from his pocket and smiled.

"Well, hello, boys, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"Just doing some work on the engine."

"Need any help?" Michael mumbled and the man looked at him then frowned.

"What did he say?"

"He asked if you need any help," Rory said.

"Either of you know anything about engines?"

"Yeah, my dad used to let me help him work on our truck."

"Ok," the man said as he held out a wrench to Rory and Rory arched his eyebrow at him.

"Well, he usually let me hold the toolbox because I can't move my hands," he said then looked at Michael and smiled. "His hands work."

"Alright then," the driver said when he placed the tools on Rory's lap then placed the wrench into Michael's hand and Michael looked at the wrench. He listened to the driver as he explained what he wanted Michael to do as he used the wrench to tighten the bolt on the hinge to the storage door and Rory smiled. Time passed while Michael and Rory helped him work on the bus when Annie walked closer and stood next to Rory's wheelchair.

"There you are," she said then looked at the driver, who was showing Michael what a carburetor was. "Are they bothering you, Ian?"

"No, in fact they've been a big help. Mostly this one," Ian said and gently ruffled Michael's hair.

"Well, it is time for Michael's therapy," Annie said as Michael sighed and pouted.

"But we're not done," Michael mumbled and Rory turned the wheelchair to look at Annie.

"Come on, Annie, can't he stay until we put the new carburetor in?" he asked.

"No," she said as Michael sighed and followed her as she headed down the path. Ian looked at Rory when he saw something in Rory's eyes and removed the tools and Rory nodded, flicking the switch as the wheelchair moved down the path.

The wheelchair moved down the hallway as Rory frowned and sighed. Annie had changed his jeans after finding oil stains on them and she had taken him to the shower room to wash his legs off. The wheelchair headed into the therapy room when he saw Michael lying on his back on the mat and two therapists knelt near the mat. Annie had also given Michael a shower before he went to therapy and Michael looked up at him while Rory stopped the wheelchair next to the mat and smiled.

"Having fun, are we?" Rory asked and Michael sighed, looking at the ceiling.

"Not really," Michael mumbled.

"Is there something you want?" the therapist asked.

"Nope, just watching," Rory said with a grin.

"Do you want me to make him leave?" the other therapist asked.

"No," Michael mumbled then looked at Rory. "Rory?"

"Yes, Michael?" Rory asked.

"GET OUT!" he half shouted and Rory laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Ok, I'm going…I'm going," he said then laughed and flicked the switch with his finger, making the wheelchair leave the room.

Rory sat by the window while watching the clouds floating across the sky when he heard something and turned the wheelchair around, seeing Michael coming closer. He stopped the wheelchair next to Rory's wheelchair as he sighed and Rory softly smiled at him.

"Sorry about that," Michael mumbled.

"That's alright," Rory said when Annie walked into the room and stopped behind Michael's wheelchair. "Hello, Annie."

"Hello," she said while Michael turned his wheelchair around and she smiled sweetly at him. "Michael, I need you to come with me."

"Why?" Michael mumbled.

"He wants to know why," Rory said.

"We're going on another donation run."

"So Michael can go, but not me?"

"I think you know why you're not going," she said, arching an eyebrow.

"I want to come," Rory said then stuck out his lower lip and batted his eyelashes. Annie pressed her lips together while Michael softly laughed then she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Let's go get your coats," she said as they followed her out of the room and Rory grinned, flicking the lever with his finger.

The air was slightly chilly while Rory and Michael sat with the other residents as people walked by them and one or two people dropped some coins in the buckets on Rory and Michael's laps. Rory had been bored the last time he went on a donation run, but was surprised when a few children came over and placed money in the bucket on his lap. One little girl had around three years old had even asked if it was alright to give him a hug and her mother smiled as she hugged Rory after he said it was alright. Looking around with his eyes, Rory saw that Cathy was watching him when he frowned and Michael looked at him.

"Just ignore her," Michael mumbled, but Rory flicked the switch with his finger and the wheelchair moved toward her. Cathy smiled at him when Rory stopped the wheelchair and arched his eyebrows up.

"Hello, Rory," she said softly and looked at the bucket on her lap.

"Right, mind telling me what's going on? Why are you tossing food and spitting juice at me?" he asked, but she didn't answer and he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Do you know that what you did made me cry?"

"It did?" she asked with a stunned look on her face and he gave her a blank look.

"Yeah, it did. In fact, I was crying so hard that Erin was worried that my heart would stop, seeing how fast and hard it was beating. For me, that's not a good thing. So spill it. Why are you doing it?" he asked and Cathy moved side to side on the wheelchair. 'Oh fuck, don't cry."

"I'm not going to cry. I don't want to tell. You'll laugh," she said and he gave her a blank look.

"Why would I laugh?" he asked with a confused look on his face. "Come on. Tell me."

"I…I like you," she said then blushed and he thought for a few seconds then smiled. "See, you're going to laugh!"

"No, I'm not, but why are you throwing food at me? Is that to get my attention?" he asked and she nodded her head.

"I want to help food Rory," she said and he blinked his eyes for a few seconds.

"You want to…Oh, I get it! You want to help FEED me?" he asked and she nodded her head. "Well, you don't have to toss it at me. How about this? From now on, you call my name, ask Annie if it's ok and, if she says it's ok, you can help feed me. Ok?"

"Yeah," she said then moved the wheelchair until it was next to Rory's wheelchair and she smiled at him. Leaning over, she carefully hugged Rory then kissed his cheek and he softly giggled. "Sorry that I made you cry."

"Ah, that's ok. Over and done with," he said as she let go and he gave her a wink. Moving the wheelchair back to where Michael was sitting, Rory glanced over at Michael and Michael had a confused look on his face. "What? We talked and she's not going to throw food or spit at me anymore."

"Oh," Michael mumbled when Rory saw someone coming down the pavement and smiled.

"Well, look who it is," Rory said, moving the wheelchair toward Erin Flynn, their favorite night nurse, and she softly laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Hello, Rory," she said then gently hugged him and adjusted the woolen knit hat on his head.

"What are you doing here?" Michael mumbled.

"He wants to know what you're doing here," Rory said.

"I'm just out for the day with my flat mate. What are you two up to?"

"We're on a donation run."

"Well make sure you keep the money in the bucket," she teased and Rory sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Funny."

"Sorry," she said when a tall, young woman walked closer and her long, black hair bounced on her shoulders. She stopped near Rory's wheelchair while he looked at her and she smiled then looked at Erin.

"Hello," Maggie Kelley said.

"Hey, Mags," Erin said then looked at Michael and Rory and Rory waited for her to introduce them to Maggie. "This is Rory and this is Michael."

"So, you're the two guys Erin's always talking about," Maggie said with a grin and Rory frowned, giving Erin a blank look.

"You talk about us?" Rory asked.

"Yep, he's the quiet one," Maggie said while looking at Michael then smiled down at Rory, giving him a wink. "And you're the cocky one."

"Yeah, I am," Rory said then looked at Erin, arching his eyebrows up. "Are you coming to work tonight?"

"No, have the night off," Erin said while Annie walked closer and stood behind Rory's wheelchair. "Hello."

"Hello," Annie said then looked at Rory and Michael. "Right, you two, it's time to go."

"Do they have to? We're heading for the pub," Maggie asked and a light flickered in Rory's eyes as he gave Annie a sad puppy look and stuck out his bottom lip. Michael looked at him then looked at Annie as he gave her his version of a sad puppy look and Annie laughed, shaking her head.

"And how will you get back to Carrigmore?" Annie asked.

"Well, I got enough battery to get back," Rory said then looked at Michael and Michael nodded his head. "So does Michael."

"No, not again," Annie said as they sighed and Michael sat back in his wheelchair. Thinking for a few minutes, he flicked the switch with his finger and his wheelchair moved down the pavement, heading for the payphone. Rory and Erin followed him when Michael wiggling a bit on his wheelchair then took the receiver off the hook and placed the receiver on his thigh.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"I'm going to call Eileen and ask her if we can go to the pub," Michael mumbled and Rory' eyes went wide.

"You're going to call Eileen and ask her if we can go to the pub?"

"How are you going to do that?" Erin asked when Michael reached into the donation bucket and took a few coins out. Shaking her head, Erin placed the coins back into the donation bucket then took a few coins out of her purse and pushed the buttons. Michael held the receiver in his hands while listening to the ringing when he heard a little click and smiled at Erin.

"Hello," Eileen said.

"Hello," Michael mumbled and Rory grinned, thinking of the look on Eileen's face when she realized that she was talking to Michael.

"Give me that," Erin said as Michael handed her the receiver and she gently patted the top of his head. "Hello, Eileen, this is Nurse Flynn."

"What happened? Why is Michael calling me? Where is Annie?"

"Nothing happened, Michael needs to ask you something and Annie is over with the others."

"What does Michael want to ask me?"

"Um, Michael wants to know if it's alright for him and Rory to come to the pub with me and my flat mate," Erin said as she heard Eileen sigh and Erin brushed the hair out of Michael's eyes.

"Why am I not surprised that Rory is involved? No, they can't go," Eileen said when Erin felt something gently bump into her and she looked at Rory, who was looking at the receiver.

"Hold on," Erin said as she held the receiver to Rory's ear and he gently smiled at her.

"Hello," Rory said when he heard sighing and a small smile crossed his lips.

"Hello, Rory," Eileen said.

"Look, my day of doing what I want is nearly over and I want to go to the pub and so does Michael. The thing we can't figure out is how to get back. We do have battery power to get home, but Annie said that we can't do that. So, I was thinking that you could send the bus back for us. What you say?" he asked then waited for his answer and Erin placed a few more coins into the slot.

"Fine, as long as you're back by curfew," Eileen said then ended the call and Rory looked at Erin, who placed the receiver back on the cradle.

"Can we go?" Michael mumbled.

"Yeah, but we have to go back by curfew," Rory said when Annie walked over and Erin told her what was going on.

"That means the bus will pick you up around eight," Annie said while she took the donation buckets off of Michael and Rory's lap as they nodded then she walked away and Rory glance at Erin and smiled.

"Well, let's go, I need a drink," Rory said as Erin and Maggie laughed and they headed down the pavement.

The smell of smoke caused Michael to cough as Erin held the door opened and Rory smiled, looking around the room. Music came from the jukebox in the corner as they headed toward the booth under one of the stain glass windows and Rory and Michael stopped the wheelchairs near the table. Erin went to buy the first round of drinks while Maggie sat next to Rory's wheelchair and she titled her head to one side, looking at him.

"So, Rory, can I ask you something?" Maggie asked when Erin came back with a tray of drinks and Rory gave Maggie a defensive look.

"Sure, what do you want to know?" he asked while Erin placed the glass of beer with a bendy straw in it in front of Michael and Michael smiled, nodding his head.

"How long have you been like that?" Maggie asked, pointing to the wheelchair and Erin's eyes went wide.

"Maggie!" she said.

"I mean how long has he been in the wheelchair?"

"Oh, I have been in this one for the two years," Rory said with a slight smile. "The last one I had died and the funny thing was I was going downhill at the time. See, the place I was living was on top of this hill and I was going for a "walk" with this aide. Suddenly there was this loud pop and the motor died. Problem was I was still going downhill and gaining speed. So the aide runs after me and I'm laughing my arse off. I mean I knew I could have been hurt, but it was the most fun I had in a long time. Two other aides saw me when they slowed me down and we were at the bottom of the hill. I thought they were going to have coronaries wheeling me back up the hill!"

Erin and Maggie laughed then Erin helped Rory drink some beer and Maggie watched Michael trying to move the straw toward his mouth.

"Do you need some help?" she asked and Michael nodded. She helped Michael drink when he sat back and she smiled, gently wiping his mouth with the napkin.

"So, Maggie, what do you do?" Rory asked.

"I work at a daycare center."

"That sounds like fun," Michael mumbled.

"Eh?"

"He said that your job sounds like fun," Rory said.

"Oh, yeah, it is fun. Some of the kids we have are…" Maggie said as she glanced at Michael and Rory sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You take care of disabled kids, eh?"

"Yeah, and most of the kids can take care of themselves," Maggie said when Michael moved the glass closer and slid the straw into his mouth. He drank some beer as she smiled at him and he sat back against the back of the wheelchair then burped. "Excuse you."

"Sorry," Michael mumbled then looked at Erin and sighed. "I'm hungry."

"Me, too," Rory said.

"Then I guess I should go order something," Erin said as Rory moved the wheelchair back and Erin walked to the bar. The three men looked at her while she stood by the bar and one of the men smiled, walking toward her.

"So, what's it like to be out with a cripple?" the man asked and she looked at him then looked back at the menu over the bar.

"Dunno. What does your girlfriend say when they ask the same about you?" Erin said as the man growled and she smiled.

"Don't get cheeky with me, Luv. You know you shouldn't have brought them here. This is a place for normal people."

"And they still let you in," Erin teased when the man grew angry then grunted when something smacked into the back of his legs and he turned around, looking down at Michael.

"Leave her alone!" Michael mumbled.

"What?" the man asked.

"He said leave her alone, you arsehole!" Rory said.

"And if I don't!" the man asked. They watched as Michael backed up a bit then moved the wheelchair forward and ran over the man's foot.

"Fuck!" the man shouted while Michael moved the wheelchair back and smiled while the man hopped on one foot. "That isn't funny!"

"Yes, it is," Michael mumbled as he softly laughed and the bar tender walked over, looking at them.

"What's going on here!" the bar tender asked.

"I was just coming over to see if you have anything for us to eat and this arsehole starts picking on my friends because they're in wheelchairs," Erin said.

"And this one ran over my fucking foot!" the man shouted, pointing to Michael.

"Did you?" the bar tender asked. Michael nodded as the bar tender looked at the man then at Erin and Rory came closer, parking the wheelchair next to them.

"What's the hold up?" Rory asked and the bar tender looked at him.

"I know you, don't I?" the bartender asked and Rory blinked.

"Don't think so."

"Sure, I do! You came in here a short time ago and paid for rounds with change! Now that I think about it, he was with you!

"Oh, yeah, that was us, but this time she's paying. Can we get some food now?" Rory asked and the bar tender smiled.

"Sure," the bar tender said while Erin ordered some food and the man glared at the bartender.

"What about my foot!" the man demanded.

"Oh, go out and walk it off!" the bar tender said when the men left and Erin looked at Rory then Michael.

"You two are a terror," Erin said as they laughed then went back to the table and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

The door opened when Ian walked inside then headed toward the bar and talked with the bartender. Nodding, the bartender pointed toward the table where Rory, Erin, Michael and Maggie were sitting and Michael smiled at him.

"Alright, Lads, time to go," Ian said.

"Is it eight already?" Rory asked.

"No, it's nearly one in the morning," Ian said and Michael and Rory's eyes went.

"But…."

"Let's go," Erin said as she and Maggie got up and Ian held the door open as they left the pub.

Eileen waited outside the door while she watched the bus stop and folded her arms over her chest. Ian nodded at her as he went inside and Rory and Michael came closer, stopping their wheelchairs near her feet.

"Did you have fun?" Eileen asked.

"Oh yeah, but I'm stumped on why we got to stay out so late," Rory said.

"Just go inside," Eileen said as they nodded then went inside and the door closed behind them.

Annie tucked the duvet around Rory's legs while Eileen stood in the doorway when Annie slid the call box into his hand. Nodding, Annie left the room when Eileen walked to the bed then looked down at Rory and he blinked his eyes, looking back at her.

"If you're expecting me to say thanks for allowing us to stay out late, well, you're not getting it," Rory said as she nodded then turned, heading for the door. She left the room when she turned the lights off and closed the door behind her. Smiling, Rory yawned as he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep while the thin mist of clouds moved slowly across the half moon.


End file.
